Battle of Concord

The Battle of Concord (19 April 1775) was the second phase of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first action of the American Revolutionary War.

Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Smith's 700-strong British expeditionary force was sent to Concord to destroy rebel supplies, and a contingent of British troops headed to Lexington to confront Captain John Parker's 77-strong militia company. Parker's company was scattered at the Battle of Lexington, and several militiamen from Lexington rode to Concord to warn Colonel James Barrett about the approach of the British. The British took the town of Concord and burned the Patriot cannon carriages; however, this was the only significant loss of supplies for the Patriots, who recovered their shot and food from the town after the British left.

Colonel Barrett had his troops withdraw from Punkatasset Hill to a hilltop 300 yards from the Old North Bridge, and five companies of minutemen and five companies of militia from Acton, Concord, Bedford, and Lincoln occupied the hill. The 400 militiamen outnumbered Captain Walter Laurie's 95-strong light infantry forces, and the Patriots held back the British forces as they attempted to advance across the bridge and the riverbank on either side of the bridge. The Patriots fired just before the British firing lines could fire their volleys, wiping out several of their squads. Four of the eight British officers were wounded by musket volleys during the battle, and the British withdrew from their first defeat. Smith decided to withdraw towards Boston, leading to a rebel ambush that became known as "Parker's Revenge".